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Wednesday, November 11, 2026
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Opinions

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OPINION

Buffalo's own 'Carrie Bradshaw'

By JACKIE GRABER | Feb. 12, 2015

Spectrum File Photo I sit down at my computer with overwhelming excitement, as I?ve recently been confronted with one of the most fun and exhilarating opportunities of my college career. Everybody: say hello to UB?s newest female sex columnist. Anyone who has seen HBO?s Sex and the City can probably guess my immediate reaction to hearing the news ? I am [finally] Buffalo?s own Carrie Bradshaw.

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OPINION

Don't mess with Fred Fest

Feb. 12, 2015

Administrators at SUNY Fredonia have decided to cancel their end-of-the-semester festival in an attempt to stem the binge drinking and rowdiness that has dominated the college in years past. Controlling student drinking at the end of the semester?

OPINION

Letter from the editor: How the digital age changes how we cover sex

Feb. 11, 2015

There?s a good chance you picked up The Spectrum today because you saw ?SEX? bold across the cover. Maybe you?re a faithful reader, eager to pick us up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday ? or, perhaps, you just wanted to read about fetishes, threesomes and the new sex shop on South Campus. Look, I get it. There?s a reason this is our most-read issue of the year.

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OPINION

A man's guide to a single Valentine's Day

By Tom Dinki | Feb. 10, 2015

Spectrum File Photo Saturday will be my first Valentine?s Day being single in three years. I?ve done my fair share of the whole ?be a good boyfriend and make Valentine?s Day special for the girlfriend even though you could care less? routine: planning out the day and spending more money than you have on flowers, jewelry and dinner. All of the things a disorganized, poor, 20-year-old male college student doesn?t like to do. But not this year. Saturday is going be the first Valentine?s Day I spend alone since Feb.

Illustration by Harumo Sato
OPINION

Supreme Court refuses to cater to prejudice regarding gay marriage

Feb. 10, 2015

Illustration by Harumo Sato Subverting the law for the sake of equality is ultimately a worthwhile endeavor. Lora and Julie, the first same-sex couple to marry in Etowah County, Alabama on Monday would certainly agree. So, too, would Olanda and Dianah, Cooper and Jessie and all the same-sex couples in Alabama who finally saw their relationships recognized and legalized after the Supreme Court declined to block a January federal court order that made states begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Voters in Alabama approved a statewide ban on gay marriage in 2006 by a 4-to-1 margin. But this January, U.S.

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OPINION

Buffalo Common Council aims to protect public from effects of e-cigarettes

Feb. 8, 2015

Buffalo has taken swift action against electronic cigarettes, becoming the first community in Erie County to impose laws that ban the smoking of e-cigarettes wherever traditional cigarettes are disallowed. The new measure, passed by the Buffalo Common Council last week, aims to protect the public from the potential secondhand effects of e-cigarettes. Vaping has fewer health risks than smoking a tobacco cigarette, but e-cigarettes do contain varying levels of nicotine and the vapors emitted contain other substances as well, including formaldehyde and heavy metals. Clearly regulation is still necessary, although e-cigarettes can help smokers kick their tobacco habit. It?s certainly important to ensure that non-smokers aren?t exposed to cigarette smoke, but e-cigarettes are still new and their potential health risks not fully explored. But e-cigarettes offer potential benefits as well. They?re frequently marketed as a tool that can be used to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.

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OPINION

Buffalo School District fails to notice administrator's wrongdoing efficiently

Feb. 8, 2015

The Buffalo Public School District can?t seem to catch a break. Perhaps that?s because they keep hiring ineffective ? and in this case corrupt ? individuals to lead the district and manage its money. Before Debbie Buckley?s firing seven months ago, the high-level administrator for the district was tasked with managing more than $100 million in federal grants the district received for its students living in poverty. Buffalo?s public schools are filled with impoverished children.

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OPINION

Kenmore bans pawnshops

By Editorial Board | Feb. 5, 2015

The Village of Kenmore has decided to ?just say no? ? to pawnshops. After local business owners became suspicious that a loan broker was quietly attempting to open a shop in the area, town officials acted rapidly and severely by placing a six-month ban on the businesses. This temporary ruling culminated in the recent decision to disallow pawnshops and loan brokers entirely. The ban stems from concern that pawnshops could attract criminal activity and allow for the trafficking of stolen goods, though no reports of crime stemming from such shops have surfaced. Instead, the move appears to be preemptive ? and perhaps presumptive. In a copy of the law proposing the original six-month moratorium, the Village Board cited ?several communities across the country? that noticed pawn shops causing ?certain negative effects.? The details justifying Kenmore?s decision are scarce to say the least. There was no uptick in crime in Kenmore due to pawnshops, and even the national examples the Board cites are lacking specificity. This is not to say that Kenmore is entirely wrong in their decision or that there is no detailed evidence supporting the village?s choice.

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OPINION

"In place of cancelation, communication from UB should be no-brainer"

Feb. 3, 2015

It?s a problem The Spectrum has discussed time and time again ? an issue which students bemoan and commuters fear: UB?s refusal to accommodate its students during inclement weather, or even recognize the challenges being faced by the community. During November?s snowstorm, UB drew enough ire from the public and the media that the administration caved in, canceling classes after refusing to do so during the initial days of the storm. Monday?s snow event certainly wasn?t as dramatic as November?s blizzard.

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OPINION

Capen renovations are an exercise in patience

Feb. 1, 2015

?Delayed gratification? will have to serve as the motto for students using North Campus libraries this year, as ?Club Capen? shuts down in order to undergo a dramatic remodel. Longer lines and louder study spaces in Lockwood and Silverman libraries may cause some headaches, but the carefully planned and much-needed improvements to the third floor of the Silverman Library will be worth it ? eventually. As part of UB?s Heart of the Campus project, a UB 2020 initiative involving renovations on all three campuses, the Silverman Library is getting a facelift. Up until its closing in December, Club Capen served as a popular 24-hour study space.

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